AndyBaker

Reply to Angels in Religion JoeUser Forums

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Reply to Be Yourself in Religion JoeUser Forums

Hi little whip!, nice to see you again

Reply to Be Yourself in Religion JoeUser Forums

Hi Ockham, how are you doing? Thanks, nice to see you too. It's good to have a little banter on JU every now and again. I'll catch you around, Andy

Reply to Be Yourself in Religion JoeUser Forums

The right thing, how measured? We must turn to our own inner-wisdom, and do what we think is best. We all have different views regarding what is the “right thing”, so it must come from within ourself. Even if we think we're following ancient rules and dogmas, the decision to adhere to them comes from within us. It helps to be open to other views, practices and beliefs, because we might come across something that we had never thought of before, which migh

A Reference Guide for Taking a Dump at Work in Misc JoeUser Forums

This might come in handy for those slogging away at work, with bubbling bowels... ANGEL SHIT: To take a dump and wipe your arse, and see that the first wipe reveals a clean sheet. Celebrations are in order for an ANGEL SHIT. Just one or two wipes and you will be out of the crapper with a lemon-fresh bott, back at your desk in no time. COURTESY FLUSH: The act of flushing the toilet in an attempt to nullify the subtle ‘rubbing’ sound as you wipe your arse. Nobody has the rig

A Reference Guide for Taking a Dump at Work in Misc JoeUser Forums

This can come in handy for those slogging away at work, with bubbling bowels... ANGEL SHIT: To take a dump and wipe your arse, and see that the first wipe reveals a clean sheet. Celebrations are in order for an ANGEL SHIT. Just one or two wipes and you will be out of the crapper with a lemon-fresh bott, back at your desk in no time. COURTESY FLUSH: The act of flushing the toilet in an attempt to nullify the subtle ‘rubbing’ sound as you wipe your arse. Nobody has the right

Reply to Did You Create Your Children? in Religion JoeUser Forums

God creates the process and the opportunities, and we engage with the process. Strictly speaking, God doesn’t create babies. All energy already exists, including the souls of those who incarnate in physical bodies. Energies change form and culminate in various ways, to give rise to embryos, fetuses and bodies. When the body dies, the soul continues to express itself in the Spirit World, and the body melds with the earth.

Reply to The Pain of Faith in Religion JoeUser Forums

God is not us, not even a positive or negative idealization of us. God is Other, unknowable I disagree with this bit Emperor. I think God is Other, in the sense that God transcends us - God is ‘up there and out there’ - but God is also in us – deep within our souls, which is created “in the image and likeness of God.” There is ‘God stuff’ within

Reply to Tithing !!! in Religion JoeUser Forums

I've just read the following in a book, and thought it was very powerful and significant. This is true meat for the soul: "We all of us believe in God as the Source of all things, but some of us cannot quite see Him as our Supply, our Support, and our Sufficiency in all things. Why, if we accept Him as the Source of all? Is it not because we do not try to prove Him as such – truly and definitely try to prove Him? Jesus, our Master and Teacher, has told us many times and in many

Reply to Elton John is in the news in Religion JoeUser Forums

religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays People who want to hate gay people will hate gay people, whether they're religious or not. Religious people who hate gay people often quote verses from their Holy Books, and will interpret them in certain ways to back up their hatred t

Reply to The Pain of Faith in Religion JoeUser Forums

Struggle, evolutionary or personal, leads to strengthening overall. What if it's not? What if the purpose is not moral and eschatological but artistic? What if God's purpose in creation is to not Salvation, but Beauty? I too believe that the purpose of Creation is to actualise a state of intrinsic beauty. Or should I say I believe that that’s at

Reply to What Does Genesis 1:20-22 Say Exactly? in Religion JoeUser Forums

(I thought it was referring to the question "If God created the universe, who created God?" That last post of mine was nothing to do with the topic. That's what you get for skimming an article.)

Reply to What Does Genesis 1:20-22 Say Exactly? in Religion JoeUser Forums

The first 4 words of the Bible clear up the confusion: "In the beginning God" God is All in All. "In the beginning, the chicken and the egg ..."

Reply to The Pain of Faith in Religion JoeUser Forums

In the OT it reveals God's fondness for killing, which extended to sending wild bears to rip apart the youths who laughed at Elisha's baldness. It extends to the freeing of the Israelites (and the death by Angelic visitation of every living first-born thing in Egypt not marked by the appointed sign). There's plenty to be observed in relation to God's nature, particularly i

Reply to The Pain of Faith in Religion JoeUser Forums

I was left with a question: why? Why was I shaped in the shape that I have? There has never been any answer given to that question, and I doubt, very much, that I well ever receive an answer God is Great. God is Good

Reply to When is Suicide permissible? in Life JoeUser Forums

if we can experience a deep sense of inner peace, security, strength and positivity - regardless of external conditions and regardless of other people’s weaknesses or behaviour, whilst still getting stuck into the world ... we don’t have any choice over how we feel or react to life, just as a rose doesn’t have any choice as to whether it’s at th

Reply to When is Suicide permissible? in Life JoeUser Forums

I feel very strongly that this is my last visit to the earth Possibly. But we might be surprised at the vastness of the soul’s agenda. When we get to the Other Side I’m sure we’ll see that we’ve all got plenty of lifetimes ahead of us. If we reach a place of unconditional love, (including love for our enemies, without our inner-harmony

Reply to When is Suicide permissible? in Life JoeUser Forums

Having suffered with depression for so many years I have had only one instance where I felt compelled to commit suicide and instead of committing the act I wrote a book of poetry Poetry is a good way of expressing our spirituality in a positive manner, even if we’re venting negativity. It can push our negative energies out in a harmless way. Man

Reply to When is Suicide permissible? in Life JoeUser Forums

Anyone who commits suicide will have to come back and face the same kind of challenges in their next incarnation. The pain that their suicide caused to others can add to karmic debt to boot, so the challenges in their next incarnation might be magnified. To sit and ride the storm is the best thing to do. Even though from the personality’s point of view, to sit in despair, darkness and fear might seem like a bad option, from the soul’s point of view, it is the wisest option. Pain and su

Reply to Fallible Men Produce Infallible Bible? in Religion JoeUser Forums

Thanks Andy for responding. I really enjoy chatting with you as always...... I enjoy the conversation too KFC. It’s good stuff, Either one is sincerely right and one sincerely wrong or they both are sincerely wron

Reply to Fallible Men Produce Infallible Bible? in Religion JoeUser Forums

What do I really think?” see Andy this is where you and I part company. I don't think it matters what I THINK at all. Of course we need to think for ourself KFC – otherwise our beliefs and views will be governed wholly by our cultural roots and upbringing, or by other people's views and opinions. With this said, you have unw

Reply to Fallible Men Produce Infallible Bible? in Religion JoeUser Forums

how do we separate the fact from the fiction? There comes a time when we must stop and ask ourself, “What do I really think?” It’s all subjective at the end of the day, and we should listen to all views, weight it up, and decide for ourselves. We don’t want to base our decisions and beliefs on the un-evolved attitudes or weaknesses of ot

Reply to Fallible Men Produce Infallible Bible? in Religion JoeUser Forums

If we take time out to relax, gain a sound state of mind, and look around the real world – whether it be in the office, or in the supermarket, or at a music-concert – and ask ourself honestly: Will the majority of these people be punished in hellfire for ever and ever after death, tormented and in pain, because they didn’t become a born again Christian? <b

Reply to Fallible Men Produce Infallible Bible? in Religion JoeUser Forums

One of the most frequent arguments leveled against the infallibility of the Bible is based upon the fact that the Bible was written by human authors The argument isn’t just based on the fact that the Bible was written by man. It’s based more on the Bible’s content. Many Biblical philosophies, views and parameters simply don’t ring true to many pe

Reply to Two Testaments; Two Gods? in Religion JoeUser Forums

There exists no document from the ancient world witnessed by so excellent a set of textual and historical testimonies and offering so superb an array of historical data on which an intelligent decision may be made. An honest person cannot dismiss a source of this kind. Skepticism regarding the historical credentials of Christianity is based upon an irrational, i.e. antisu